Their absence from the ship extended over a period of eighty-four days, during which they did very good service, having explored no less than two hundred and twenty miles of new coast line. May found them near Cape Joseph Henry, not far from the spot where he had before brought succour to my party. They were then struggling bravely on, but were in a very crippled condition. It is most fortunate he succeeded in reaching them when he did. His cheery spirit and strong help did much to assist them, and enabled Aldrich to bring his little party alongside their Arctic home in undiminished numbers. It was a great relief to all on board to know that every one had returned, that no stragglers were absent. So great was the anxiety felt until all the sledging parties had arrived, that the lot of those on board was hardly more enviable than that of the travellers!
Our good ship was now converted into a regular hospital, and might almost be said to be in charge of the medical officers; for those who were not actually under treatment had to be placed at the disposal of the doctor, so as to act as nurses, cooks, or attendants of some kind. Perfect rest and careful nursing were the most essential requisites for a complete restoration to health. Spenser must have had the recovery of similar wayworn and stricken travellers in his mind when he wrote—
| “Now when their wearie limbes with kindly reste And bodies were refresht with dew repast.” |
The medical staff were unremitting in their ceaseless attention to their patients, and it was to their untiring watchfulness that we owed the complete recovery of our sick.
Much had to be done to get the ship ready for sea; but, for some time, only a few officers and three men could be employed in any work connected with these preparations, the remainder being engaged entirely with their duties to the sick. The principal work that had to be done, before the ice broke up round the ship, was to get on board and stow away all our powder, besides the provisions and stores that had been landed before the winter. The housing had long been taken down, and the upper deck had been partially cleared of snow, so that daylight was once more admitted through the skylights and illuminators. It is a curious fact connected with those who were for a long period absent from their ship, that the hair on their faces became perfectly bleached, until in fact it was nearly white. The loss of colour was gradual, and, although noticed, was never alluded to, each one imagining that his companion’s hair was turning grey from the effects of hardship and anxiety! It was only after our return to the ship that those possessing beards and moustaches discovered the change that had occurred. The colour returned in the same gradual manner that it had disappeared. We all suffered a loss of hair from the head; but this may easily be attributed to our sealskin caps, and other head-dresses, which were constantly worn.
After the long use of moccasins, it took us some time to get accustomed to leather boots, which we were obliged to wear on account of the sludgy state of the surface of the floes and the land. With a temperature some degrees below freezing point, nothing is more comfortable or better suited for travelling over the pack than a good pair of moccasins.
The return of the sledge travellers was celebrated, on the 29th of June, by the best dinner we could afford to put on the table. As our printing-press had long been dismantled, a written menu was given to myself and Aldrich as the leaders of the two extended sledge parties. A beautiful sketch of the highest position reached was drawn by Moss, the following being as near as possible a fac-simile:—
| “Marco Polo.” Lat. 83° 20′ 26″ N. |
MENU.
Potage olla Podrida.